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Goalkeeper Stephane Gillet has received a one match ban following his red card at Bristol Rovers on Saturday and will miss the League two trip to Mansfield Town tomorrow night as a result. Striker Michael Branch who has just returned to the side from injury has also picked up a one match ban after rceiving his fifth yellow card on the season at the Memorial Ground. He will be sidelined for Saturday's home visit from Notts County. Meanwhile the club have appealed against Gillet's red card and will be advised before 12:00 tomorrow if they've been successful.
It remains to be seen who will take Gillet's place tomorrow night at Mansfield Town should the appeal be rejected.
The club have ruled out the possibility of Everton's John Ruddy returning on loan while Chris MacKenzie is still sidelined with a broken thumb. Ryan Brookfield played for the youth team on Saturday.
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KEITH CURLE today confirmed he was hoping to name Stephane Gillet as his goalkeeper for tomorrow night’s league match at Mansfield Town.
The Chester City boss insisted he was going to appeal after seeing his Luxembourg international shot-stopper red-carded in Blues’ 2-1 loss at Bristol Rovers on Saturday – City’s seventh straight league defeat.
Curle was angered by Hertfordshire referee, Mick Russell’s decision to brandish a straight red card at Gillet who was involved in a collision with ex-Chester striker Junior Agogo just outside the penalty area.
Curle said: “Because I’m appealing against Stephane’s red card I’m hoping he will receive a stay of execution.
WRONG DECISION
“I won’t know whether I can name Stephane as our goalkeeper until I hear the result of our appeal which is due at lunchtime tomorrow.
“I have been on the phone to another goalkeeper just in case our appeal fails, but I won’t be bringing John Ruddy back from Everton.
“I’m not going to appeal for the sake of appealing – I am appealing because I thought a wrong decision was made.
“The referee told me after the game that he sent Stephane off because the keeper denied the striker a goalscoring opportunity.
“The referee also said that by law from the FA he is not allowed to rescind a decision. That has to be done by the FA.
“I don’t see how Stephane was denying the player a goalscoring opportunity when the player was going away from goal. Two players have challenged honestly for the ball and their player went down rather easily.
“I thought Stephane made a genuine attempt to play the ball and Luke Dimech was still in a covering position, so I didn’t think it was an obvious scoring position.
“Stephane has played very well since he has joined us. He has adjusted to the way the team plays.”
Curle admitted he had been disappointed to see his side give Bristol Rovers a two-goal start, and said: “It was very disappointing to see us concede a two-goal start. The first goal was down to poor marking at a set-play, and their second arrived as somebody just waltzed into the box with the ball and got their shot off.
“Our spirited fightback in the second half was obviously marred by the sending off, but our heads didn’t drop because we were determined to get something out of the game.
“We managed to get a goal back and we still had a feeling we could score another with seven minutes left. It was pleasing to see the lads digging in despite going down to 10 men and everything going against them.
“With the strikeforce I had available I thought we were always going to create chances.
“Derek Asamoah had a great chance in the first half when the ball went through their keeper’s hands, but it hit the keeper’s chest, and Derek’s other good chance was parried by the keeper, but a yard the other side and the ball would have fallen for Michael Branch.
“I thought Ben Davies, Derek Asamoah, Michael Branch, and Ryan Lowe all looked lively.
“We know it’s another defeat but the most important thing now is to make sure we don’t fragment in the changing room because there were a lot of positives to take out of the game.
“I thought our second half performance was reminiscent of our performances earlier in the season.”
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for more build up head to http://www.chesternow.co.uk